Heatwave peaks in northern, central Vietnam

Sunday, May 19, 2019, 12:45 GMT+7

A woman covers herself with a piece of paper as she crosses the street in Hanoi on May 18, 2019. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

The current heatwave in northern and central Vietnamese provinces and cities reaches its peak on Saturday and Sunday, raising temperatures to up to 41 degrees Celsius, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported.

The heatwave, which started affecting the regions on Thursday, has been exacerbated by high humidity and lack of wind, said Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the weather center.

A woman struggles to travel under the scorching sun.

The temperature this time is lower than that in the record-breaking heatwave that struck the regions from April 18 to 26, during which mercury hit 41-43 degrees Celsius, Lam said.

The atmosphere, however, seems to be more sultry presently, he added.

Temperature surges to 41 degrees Celsius in a neighborhood in Hanoi due to the effect of urbanization.

Mountainous areas in the north-central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh are forecast to be hit the hardest, with mercury topping 41 degrees Celsius.

In Hanoi, the highest temperature was measured at 39 degrees Celsius on Saturday, Lam said, adding that the heat was greatly intensified by the effect of urbanization.

Construction workers labor under the heat.

The central city of Da Nang was also baked by temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday, forcing many residents to take shelter under bridges along the Han River until late in the afternoon.

The weather in northern provinces and cities is expected to cool down on Monday, when a monsoon is forecast to bring rain to the region.

Meanwhile, the heatwave will linger until the end of Monday in central localities.

Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.

Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city’s iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.